Career
McLean served in the ranks during World War I and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1918. After the War he served in Ireland from 1919 and then with King George"s Own Bengal Sappers and Miners in India from 1923. He went to the Staff College in Quetta in 1930 and was then a General Staff Officer at Army Headquarters in India from 1932.
He was appointed Assistant Secretary for the Committee of Imperial Defence in 1938.
He served in World World War II in France and Germany. In 1943 he became Chief Operations Officer for 21st Army Group and, in this capacity, was involved in the planning of Operation Overlord.
After the War he became Deputy Adjutant General at General Headquarters Far East Land Forces and then at General Headquarters Middle East Land Forces. He was made Military Secretary in 1949 and Chief Staff Officer at the Ministry of Defence in 1951.
He led the Committee of Inquiry into the conduct of the Army during the campaign against the Mau-Mau in Kenya and found that the troops had shown "a high sense of responsibility and application to duty" but also reported that "two instances of serious misconduct had occurred." He retired in 1954.
He also raised money for the repair of Street Paul"s Cathedral.
